"Prolific Japanese artist Masami Akita, aka Merzbow here teams up with session musician, producer, and singer-songwriter Eiko Ishibashi for anew work which showcases yet another side to Akita's monumental catalogue. Kouen Kyoudai consists of two side long tracks that could be read as a contemporary take on the traditional avant-garde. Skittering electronics, percussion, piano, doom and noise all feature as exponents in this epic release which seamlessly incorporates many strands of experimental thought and practice. The tension that arises from the human use of the tool is made explicit as these works unfold in a storm of ecstatic human/instrument/machine interaction. Drums hammer alongside an ecstatic drone. Notes on a piano jostle with a storm of splintered electronics. Kouen Kyoudai highlights the pull between beauty and chaos, structure and the abyss leaving behind a thrilling display of human and technological interplay whilst opening up new paths for both musicians involved." (label info) Masami Akita: Noise Electronics, Computer, Drums, Eiko Ishibashi: Piano, Drums, Synth